Goals for 2012

I've read a lot of these kind of posts, but never thought I would write one myself. Why? Well, I think giving new years resolutions is just a way for people to postpone trying to improve themselves. Why not just start exercising / reading more / take care of school work etc etc in the middle of a year? You don't have to wait until new year's eve to improve. Also, everyone are expecting you to not keep up with your resolutions, so you probably won't make it. It sounds harsh, but that's the truth.

So why am I still doing this? Well .. Eh, I'm not really sure. I like keeping track of how many books I read during a year. So maybe I can throw in some goals for this year's reading?

• Read 100 books. Yes, I'm trying to do this. It's going to be hard, I'm in my last year of secondary school and will begin upper secondary school this fall, so school will be a bigger part of my life that it has been before. But I can do this, right?
• Read more books in Finnish. I've spoken Finnish for as long as I've spoken Swedish (so, my whole life) but don't really read anything in Finnish. I don't really know much about Finnish books (I prefer reading books in their original language) and read slower in Finnish than in Swedish and English, but I want to change that.
• Write a review (or at least a draft of it) within a few hours of finishing a book. Otherwise I'll just not do it for many weeks, and maybe never write a review.
• Read more classics. 

Debut Author Challenge 2012

We are soon entering a new year, which means many new reading challenges! I've just started to look through which ones I want to participate next year, and the debut author challenge was an obvious choice. I participated in it this year as well, and only have to read two more books to complete it. The challenge is hosted by the awesome Kristi from the Story Siren and is very simple, read 12 MG or YA books from authors that publish their first ever book in 2012.

I have a few books that I'm looking forward to reading, and am going to update this blogpost every time I read a new book for the challenge. 

2011 Debut Author Challenge

Very spontaneously I decided to participate in the Debut Author Challenge hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. You have to sign up before tomorrow, March 1st. So if you haven't done it yet, what are you waiting for?

If you've never heard of the DAC (which I have really hard to believe) the rules are simple. Read a minimum of 12 books by 2011 debut authors. If you want to know more you can click here.

Books I wish to read:
This list will be updated every time I read books for the challenge. I'll cross the titles I've read.


Sister mischief - Lara Goode
Paranormalcy - Kiersten White
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin
The Iron King - Julie Kagawa
Unearthly  by Cynthia Hand
Wither - Lauren DeStefano
Across the Universe  - Beth Revis
Spellbound - Cara Lynn Shultz
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Enclave - Ann Aguirre
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
Prelude to a Hero by Jaime Buckley
The Summer I Lost it - Natalie Kath
Between Shades of Gray - Ruta Sepetyss
Röd Skymning - Fredrik Lindblom

Twenty Eleven Challenge

I'll be participating in another challenge. And I'm thinking about participating in the Debut Author Challenge as well. I know I said that I wouldn't be participating in many, but I really like this one. It's the Twenty Eleven Challenge hosted by Bart's Bookshelf. You have to read twenty books in eleven different categories. You get to choose which books you want to read in every category and have to read 1-2 in each.




Which books I've been planning to read in every category. (This list will be updated as I read or change books on my list. If one of the books titles are crossed I've read the book.

1. To YA or not YA (Read a adult novel if you read most YA, read a YA novel if you read most adult fiction)
Demons and Angels - Dan Brown
Håpas du trifs bra i fengelset - Susanna Alakoski

2. ... With a twist (Read books in a sub-genre to one of your favorite genres.)
Spellbound - Cara Lynn Shultz
Solid - Shelly Workinger

3. Hot off the Presses (Read books published in 2011)
Awakened - P.C. Cast
Enclave - Ann Aguirre


4. It wasn't me! aka Bad Bloggers (Read a book that a book blogger has recommended)
If I Stay - Gayle Forman
Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver

5. Show it Who is Boss! (Read books that have been in your TBR pile 1/12/10)
Specials - Scott Westerfeld
Angel - L.A. Weatherly

6. Bable Fish (Read books that are written in another language than your own. I'll try to read something that's written in neither swedish, english or finnish.)
Metro 2033 - Dmitry Gluchovskij

7. Will-Power? What Will-Power? aka The Ward Beecher Memorial (A book that you've bought in 2011, secondhand doesn't count)
Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green & David Levithan
Gossip Girl the Carlyles - Cecily von Ziegesar

8. Mind the Gap (if you haven't read the last book in a series you've read, read it!)
Specials - Scott Westerfeld
Beyond the Shadows - Brent Weeks

9. Back in the Day (Re-read old favorites)
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
Twilight - Stephenie Meyer

10. Way Back When (Read books that were published before you were born)
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

11. Slim-Pickings (Read books that are 90-150 pages long)
Zombicorns - John Green
Prelude to a Hero - Jaime Buckley

2011 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge

I really love reading challenges and one of my many reasons to start a book blog was to be able to be a part of all the challenges in a different way than just using goodreads. But due to lack of time I'll only challenge myself with one or two challenges. One of them is the 2011 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge hosted by Jennifer at Reading With Tequila.

She writes:

Book bloggers are my favorite source of book recommendations. More than any other source, they consistently introduce me to books and authors that impact my life. Therefore, I have created the Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge.

The rules are simple, you read a chosen amount of books from the book list. Lots of book bloggers have nominated their favorite books and created a list with over 400 different books. There are five stages, and I'll aim for stage two, to read 10 books from the list. But I will probably read more and set a higher goal on the way.

Some of the books I want to read:
Read


City of Bones – Cassandra Clare
The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien
Clockwork Angel – Cassandra Clare
Before I Fall – Lauren Oliver
Across the Universe – Beth Revis
An Abundance of Katherines – John Green
The Stand – Stephen King
Paper Towns – John Green
Peeps – Scott Westerfeld
Delirium – Lauren Oliver
Fallen - Lauren Kate
Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green & David Levithan
If I Stay - Gayle Forman
Frostbite - Richelle Mead
Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr
The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Carrie Ryan